Before you buy fabric or frame a finished cross stitch piece you need to know how big the design will actually come out. This calculator turns a chart’s stitch count and your fabric’s count into the stitched dimensions and the amount of fabric to cut, in both inches and centimetres.
How it works
Finished size depends only on stitches per inch, which the fabric count gives directly for Aida and via threads-per-stitch for evenweave and linen:
stitches per inch = fabric count / threads per stitch
width (in) = pattern width / stitches per inch
height (in) = pattern height / stitches per inch
cut size (in) = finished size + 2 × margin (each dimension)Centimetres are inches times 2.54. For Aida, threads per stitch is 1. For evenweave and linen worked over 2, set threads per stitch to 2, which halves the effective count.
Worked example with different fabric counts
Say you have a chart that is 196 wide by 140 stitches tall:
| Fabric | Threads per stitch | Stitches per inch | Finished width | Finished height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14ct Aida | 1 | 14 | 14.0 in (35.6 cm) | 10.0 in (25.4 cm) |
| 18ct Aida | 1 | 18 | 10.9 in (27.7 cm) | 7.8 in (19.8 cm) |
| 28ct linen over 2 | 2 | 14 | 14.0 in (35.6 cm) | 10.0 in (25.4 cm) |
| 32ct evenweave over 2 | 2 | 16 | 12.3 in (31.2 cm) | 8.8 in (22.3 cm) |
Notice that 14ct Aida and 28ct linen over 2 produce the same finished size — the “over 2” halves the effective count. This is why many patterns give a 28ct linen alternative alongside their stated 14ct Aida fabric choice.
How much fabric to cut
Add a margin to all four sides before cutting. The standard recommendation for most projects is 3 inches (about 7.5 cm) of bare fabric on each side for framing and mounting. For a hoop project you may only need 2 inches beyond the hoop diameter. For a piece going into a ready-made frame, measure the frame’s aperture first and work backwards from that.
On the 196 × 140 chart worked on 14ct Aida: finished size is 14 × 10 inches, so cut fabric at 20 × 16 inches (14 + 3 + 3 by 10 + 3 + 3). Always round up to the nearest half-inch when buying from a bolt — a few extra centimetres costs little and prevents having to restart because the margin was too tight to stretch and frame cleanly.
Choosing between Aida and evenweave or linen
Aida has a clearly visible grid with distinct holes, making it the easiest fabric to count on and ideal for beginners. Evenweave and linen have a softer, more textile appearance and suit heirloom and framing projects, but require the “over 2” stitch to give the same stitch density. On linen, the thread count varies slightly across the weave, so the finished size may differ by a few millimetres from the calculation — account for this if precise sizing matters.